Other Headlines

Teen charged with arson of father’s home
McCLEARY — A 14-year-old boy is facing a first-degree arson charge for a raging fire last week that destroyed the McCleary home his father was living in. The boy is in custody at the Grays Harbor County Juvenile Detention Center in Aberdeen, according to McCleary police.
The Vidette does not generally name minors charged with crimes. The father is not being named to protect the teen’s identity.
McCleary firefighters were dispatched to the home at 618 W. Ash St. shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, Assistant Fire Chief Paul Nott said. They battled heavy smoke and flames for about two hours in the blaze that Nott said appeared to have started in a small attached room behind the garage.

County budget estimate worsens
MONTESANO — Grays Harbor County’s financial picture keeps looking worse. New budget projections have the county spending more and receiving less money this year than anticipated two months ago.
Budget Director Rose Elway told commissioners Monday to now expect $619,594 less this year than she predicted in June, due largely to decreasing sales tax and timber revenue.

Elma farm reclassified
ELMA — Just because Darryl and Carol Druzianich haven’t made any money farming their land south of Elma doesn’t mean they should have to pay more in taxes, county commissioners ruled.
They unanimously approved a zoning change from Current Use Agriculture to Current Use Open Space after a hearing Monday.
“We’re trying to keep our farmland intact,” Commissioner Al Carter said. “I don’t know that this is any different than the others.”

Lawsuit claims stream stripped
McCLEARY — Besides filing suit against a Tumwater development company they say violated state law by stripping a stream and other actions last year that caused increased flooding on their property, a McCleary couple has filed a claim against the state Department of Fish and Wildlife for “complicity” in the company’s actions.
In the claim against Fish and Wildlife, Larry and Stacy Birindelli say it will cost $147,150 to restore their property at 111 Elma Hicklin Road W., saying that Ken Brogan and Garry Anensen of Brogan & Anensen, LLC, “bypassed hydraulic laws, destroyed fish habitat to tributaries of the west fork of Wildcat Creek … and caused increased flood waters on their neighbors’ properties,” with “complicity and assistance” by Fish and Wildlife.
Brogan, however, said he thinks the Birindellis are misunderstanding the “process” of what his company is working toward. He also maintains that what both the suit and the claim refer to as “Mohney Creek” is not a creek or a stream but is actually a “manmade drainage ditch” dug many years ago to help during times of heavy flooding and that “Mohney Creek” is only a proposed name for the ditch.


More Sports
Montesano’s Muller rallies for Modified victory
ELMA — Josh Muller of Montesano suffered a broken driveline during his heat race, but repaired the damage and capitalized on opportunities in the main event to come from deep in the field and capture the Modified feature victory, Saturday, Aug. 15, at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma.
McCleary’s Brandon Daniel would have joined Muller in victory lane, however, a successful protest revealed an illegal carburetor on Daniel’s Hobby Stock racer. Following the ruling, the win, points and prize money went to second place, Zack Simpson of Hoquiam, which marks his 11th win of the season.
Snohomish’s Josh DeWitt was the other driver to make his way into victory lane after picking up the win in the 360 Sprint feature. The other feature scheduled for Saturday, the Cruisers, was cancelled with only three driving teams showing up to race.